Lauren Booth:
Film of Lauren Booth at Nakba meeting on 19 Nov:  http://www.humanrightstv.com/series/108
Letter in Islington Tribune: The true envoys
Lauren Booth at Talk Sport [George Galloway]: live Sat 22 Nov
Interview with Lauren Booth in Ham & High: website address
Oxfam: Food and medicine must never be used as weapons
GAZA HUMANITARIAN SITUATION REPORT, 17 Nov 08
Israeli piracy in Gazan water: Three Free Gaza internationals kidnapped out of Palestinian waters by the Israeli Navy
Regards,
Yael Kahn
Chair of Islington Friends of Yibna [IFY]
 Islington_Yibna@yahoo.co.uk
07880 731 865

1.a. Film of Lauren Booth at Nakba meeting on 19 Nov:  http://www.humanrightstv.com/series/108

The film of the excellent presentations of Lauren Booth at the Nakba meeting on 19 Nov, at Islington Town Hall [meeting organised by Islington Friends of Yibna and Islington UNISON]

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1.b. Letter in Islington Tribune: The true envoys

 http://www.thecnj.com/islington/2008/112108/iletters112108_06.html


Islington Tribune - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 21 November 2008


The true envoys

• HOW wonderful and uplifting to read that someone is prepared to put their principles on the line and indeed even their life and describe the day-to-day reality of life in Gaza ('Israelis threatened to shoot us,' November 14).
I share Lauren Booth's view of her brother-in-law, the Middle East Peace Envoy Tony Blair, and am petrified about his silence and that of the media which allow Israel to commit these war crimes on the one-and-a-half million Palestinians in Gaza.
Since the visit of the chair of Islington Friends of Yibna, Yael Kahn, to Gaza via the Sinai Desert earlier this year, it has become clear from the interview in the Tribune that the situation has deteriorated significantly.
A meeting at Islington Town Hall on Wednesday heard an eye-witness account of the exponential rise in malnutrition in Gaza, especially for children, due to the physical lack of food, directly resulting from the Israeli blockade.
More of us should stand up and voice our concern and join people like Lauren Booth who are trying to make a real difference as true envoys.
Rob Langlands


1.c. Lauren Booth at Talk Sport [George Galloway]: live Sat 22 Nov



Lauren Booth will talk with George Galloway, at his live program at Talk Sport [from 22:00 to 23:59], about the situation in Gaza under siege and her plans for Aloha Palestine [a ferry to Gaza].



Aloha Palestine is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to provide a dedicated passenger ship service to the Palestinian people who have been suffering from the blockade imposed on Gaza: www.AlohaPalestine.com



For details on George Galloway's Talk Sport see at:  http://new.talksport.net/shows/show.asp?showId=100229



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1.d. Interview with Lauren Booth in Ham & High: website address



LAUREN BOOTH: the awkward sibling who likes to ruffle feathers- Interview in Ham&High with Katie Davies at:

 http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/content/camden/hamhigh/whatson/story.aspx?brand=northlondon24&category=whatsonmisc&tBrand=northlondon24&tCategory=whatson&itemid=WeED17%20Nov%202008%2016%3A20%3A05%3A860



Please send your comments to:  editorial@hamhigh.co.uk



Please note, the photos of the print version [13 Nov 08] are not included in the online.



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2. Oxfam: Food and medicine must never be used as weapons



From:

Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:03:52

Subject: Food and medicine must never be used as weapons



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



Food and medicine must never be used as weapons



Israel is collectively punishing innocent civilians by withholding and

controlling food and medicine to Gaza, says Christian Aid.



"With the recent upsurge in violence it is Palestinian and Israeli civilians

who will pay the price of failure and silence, and lose hope itself¹, says

William Bell, middle-eastern advocacy officer at Christian Aid.



Despite repeated calls from the international community, Gaza remains closed

to food and medicine. For almost one and a half years, 1.5 million

Palestinians have endured collective punishment as a result of Israel's

tight closure of Gaza.



In recent weeks the situation has once again deteriorated further with a

resurgence of violence.



Last week, UNRWA, the UN agency responsible for assisting Palestinian

refugees, announced that it had run out of food to distribute. With 80 per

cent of the population dependent upon food aid, the situation is critical

but the crossings into Gaza ­ the only points of entry for people and goods

- remain tightly closed.



Increasingly goods are smuggled through tunnels from Egypt into Gaza, but

the high cost of items brought in this way, are out of reach for many

ordinary Gazans.



"There is a huge concern for November food supplies. UNRWA only works with

registered refugees, but what about non-refugees? Tunnels are the only way

of getting food and other goods, but this is only for people with money¹,

says a Christian Aid partner in Khan Younis.



The international community has failed to develop a new strategy for ending

the closure of Gaza. Similarly reconciliation between Palestinian factions

has remained elusive leaving Palestinians without a genuinely representative

body to press for a solution to the crisis.



"Simply letting food into Gaza is not enough¹, says Costa Dabbagh, from Near

East Council of Churches, a Christian Aid partner.



"We are fed and kept alive without dignity and the international community

should be blamed for it. We are not given hope. It is not acceptable for us

to be waiting for food to come. We want to live freely with Israel and other

countries in peace, we are not against any individual or government, but we

are against imprisonment.¹



Despite an agreement on cessation of violence since June 2008, Gazans remain

isolated from the world and continue to live in abject poverty. Although

getting food supplies into Gaza is a vital first step, Christian Aid

believes steps must be taken to resolve the political crisis before people

will see a real change in their lives.



- ends -



For more information or interviews with Christian Aid partner organisations

in Gaza contact Nadene Ghouri on 07590 710942 or  nghouri@christian-aid.org

or William Bell on 07973 827535



Notes to Editors:



1. Christian Aid works in some of the world's poorest communities in

more than 50 countries. We act where the need is greatest, regardless of

religion, helping people build the life they deserve.



Michael Bailey

Advocacy and Media Manager

Jerusalem Office

Tel + 972 (0)2 656 6234 ext 223

mob + 972 0572233014



Oxfam works with others to overcome poverty and suffering.



Oxfam GB is a member of Oxfam International and a company limited by

guarantee registered in England No. 612172.

Registered office: Oxfam House, John Smith Drive, Cowley, Oxford, OX4 2JY.

A registered charity in England and Wales (no 202918) and Scotland (SCO

039042)



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3. GAZA HUMANITARIAN SITUATION REPORT, 17 Nov 08



 http://www.ochaopt.org/documents/ocha_opt_gaza_situation_report_2008_11_17.pdf



OFFICE FOR THE COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS

P.O.Box 38712, East Jerusalem, Phone: (+972) 2-582 9962 / 582 5853, Fax:

(+972) 2-582 5841 EUR  ochaopt@un.org EUR www.ochaopt.org



1

United Nations

Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs



GAZA HUMANITARIAN SITUATION REPORT

17 November 2008



KEY POINTS



Between 5 and 16 November, EUR Israel has blocked all commercial and

humanitarian goods from entering into the Gaza Strip with the exception of

two days when some industrial fuel was allowed in. Civilians continue to pay

the price of conflict and violence and their access to humanitarian

assistance is at stake.



EUR Today, 17 November , Israel allowed 33 truckloads including 21 for

humanitarian aid agencies to enter Gaza. UNRWA, which was allowed to enter

eight trucks, announced that as of Tuesday,18 November , it will resume its

food distribution. The Agency needs a minimal of 15 trucks/day to sustain

normal humanitarian operations.



EUR While this is a positive step, the amount entered is insufficient to meet

the needs of all the civilians dependant on humanitarian assistance. Efforts

need to be redoubled to ensure that humanitarian organizations have

unimpeded access to enter and deliver assistance to all those in need in the

Gaza Strip. Whatever the political or security consideration behind these

measures, there is an obligation by all parties to preserve human dignity

and to ensure the basic well-being of the Gazan civilian population, of

which more than half are children.



EUR The average daily number of truckloads entering Gaza hit a new low in

November - 30 trucks/day - compared to 123 truckloads/day during October

2008. The October average was already low (constituting only 37% of the

amount imported in May 2007) and was almost the same daily average before

the 19 June 2008 ³calm² had been implemented.



EUR Because of the ongoing blockade and the shortages of stock, these thirteen

days of total closures have already caused severe shortages, especially in

fuel and electricity supply. The closure shut down the delivery of essential

humanitarian assistance to hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries- mainly

the most vulnerable- who are dependent on this critical source of aid.



EUR Israel¹s closing came in response to the firing of more than 100 Qassam

rockets and mortars into Israel injuring one Israeli civilian and causing

property damage, by Palestinian militants. This was following an IDF

military search operation which killed six Hamas operatives and demolished a

house east of Deir al Balah and Khan Younis on 4 November.



Statement by UN Secretary - General Ban Ki Moon 14 November 2008:

The Secretary-General reiterates his condemnation of rocket attacks. He

calls for an end to such attacks and urges full respect by all parties of

the calm that has been in effect since 19 June 2008.



The Secretary-General is concerned that food and other life saving

assistance is being denied to hundreds of thousands of people, and

emphasizes that measures which increase the hardship and suffering of the

civilian population of the Gaza Strip as a whole are unacceptable and should

cease immediately. In particular, he calls on Israel to allow urgently, the

steady and sufficient supply of fuel and humanitarian

assistance. He also calls on Israel to resume facilitating the activities of

the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East

(UNRWA) and all humanitarian agencies, including through unimpeded access

for UN officials and humanitarian workers.



2

FUEL SHORTAGES

Industrial fuel for Electricity ­ daily rolling blackouts

The Nahal Oz fuel pipeline, which is the only line to import fuel into the

Gaza Strip, remains closed by the Israeli authorities for thirteen

consecutive days except on two days in which it was partially opened for the

inflow of the Gaza power plant¹s industrial fuel. Since 1 November, the Gaza

power plant has received a total of 1,345,430 litres or (24%) of the

5,700,000 litres it should have received during this period. Due to the lack

of fuel, Gaza¹s sole power plant was forced to completely shut down on 9 and

10 November.



Since 13 November, it has undergone rolling blackouts of up to eight hours

per day in most areas. The Gaza Electricity Distribution Company has set a

daily power cut schedule by which each household in Gaza City and in the

middle area have no power for 16 hours per day, 8-12 hours/day in northern

Gaza, 4-8 hours/day in Khan Younis and 2-4 hours/day in Rafah. The power

cuts are mainly affecting populations in Gaza City and central areas of the

Gaza Strip.



Gaza¹s normal consumption of electricity is 240MW. Its power deficit is

almost half- 103 MW, resulting from the blockade on fuel and mechanical

parts as well as the deficit caused by the 2006 Israeli bombing of the power

plant¹s transformers. The remaining 137MW provided by the Israel Electrical

Corporation (120MW) and by Egypt (17MW) is now being load-shared among

Gaza¹s 1.5 million population resulting in

intermittent power supply to households across the Gaza Strip.



COOKING GAS SHORTAGES

Bread rationing / households unable to cook

The Gas Station Owners¹ Association (GSOA) reported that there is a severe

shortage of cooking gas in the Gaza Strip and already 20 pita-bread bakeries

out of 47 are not operational. Bread rationing (one bag per person) and long

queues are occurring at bakeries. Cooking gas is also not available for

household use, causing some families to use any available flammable object

including wood and plastic to cook.



PETROL REDUCED

Petrol availability has been significantly reduced in the open market with

only 124,410 liters received from Israel since the beginning of the month.

According to GSOA, Gaza¹s estimated needs of petrol are 100,000 lit/day.

Diesel is available but supply is decreasing due to the increased

stockpiling by residents.



WATER AND SEWAGE

Most Gaza residents are suffering disruption to their daily lives as result

of the reduced access to water, since they are dependant on electricity to

pump water into their houses. During the power outages, the water cannot be

pumped above ground level. The Coastal Municipal Water Utility (CMWU)

reported that, due to the power outages and the lack of fuel (resulting also

from Palestinian political rift), 20% of water wells (30 wells) are totally

not functional, and 60% of water wells (85 wells) are partially functioning.



On 10 November 08, the CMWU launched an appeal, stating that the utility is

unable to implement its maintenance work to water and waste water facilities

due to the lack of fuel and spare parts as a



3

consequence of the closure. It was concerned that 150 water wells, three

waste water treatment plants and 35 waste water pumping stations could stop

functioning during the current electricity outages due to the lack of backup

fuel reserve.



On 16 and 17 November UNRWA responded to the appeal and donated 40,000

litres of fuel to the CMWU. This amount will cover the needs until 21

November. UNRWA has provided the CMWU in the last three months with115,000

litres of backup fuel. Approximately, 30% of the Gaza Strip population have

access to running water for 4-6 hours every four days, 30% of the population

has access to water for 4-6 hours every three days and 40% of the population

has access to water for 4-6 hours every other day.



The fuel shortages are triggering a further deterioration since sewage pumps

and the main station are dependant on electricity for operation. Without

sufficient back-up fuel, these pumps may not function which could result in

untreated sewage pouring into heavily populated areas.



FOOD

The closure of the crossings was also affected humanitarian food assistance.

On 13 November, UNRWA announced is could not continue its food distribution

to nearly 750,000 Gazans because of the shortages. Today, it was allowed to

enter eight trucks. The agency needs at least 15 trucks a day to sustain

normal humanitarian operations. UNRWA is expected to resume its food

distribution as of tomorrow, Tuesday 18 November.



A shortage of fresh food, meat and fruits and other types of food items has

been reported. Although there are no reports yet of flour shortage, there is

a growing concern for flour shortages to happen within this week if Karni

conveyer belt, the only crossing handling wheat flour, remains closed.



HEALTH

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that hospitals in Gaza remain

operational in spite of the power cuts. The hospitals currently have enough

fuel to power their emergency generators. However, there is growing fear in

hospitals and clinics regarding increased dependency on the back-up

generators to run basic medical services including surgical operations.

These generators are in place for emergency use only

and could fail at any time.



This blockade, compounded by the Palestinian political rift , together with

the suspension of development assistance, are having a devastating impact on

Gaza¹s already fragile health and sanitation services . The health services

are in a dire state ­ there are pharmaceutical shortages, services closed

down, specialists without proper trainings, medical machinery in need of

repair and upgrade.



According to WHO, no pharmaceutical supplies have been delivered by the

Ministry of Health in Ramallah to the Central Drug Stores in Gaza since 1

September 2008, except for a few drugs shipments facilitated by WHO. The

last drugs shipment facilitated by the organization was on 24 October 2008.

Currently, 95 essential drugs and 174 medical supplies are reported to be

out of stock.





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4. Israeli piracy in Gazan water: Three Free Gaza internationals kidnapped out of Palestinian waters by the Israeli Navy



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HUMAN RIGHTS OBSERVERS START HUNGER STRIKE IN ISRAEL

Massiyahu Prison, Ramle, Israel (20 November, 2008) - Three Human Rights Observers (HRO) with the International Solidarity Movement will begin a hunger strike tomorrow in protest over their illegal detention by Israel. The three HROs, Darlene Wallach of the U.S., Vittorio Arrigoni of Italy, and Andrew Muncie of Scotland, were forcibly abducted by the Israeli Navy on Tuesday, while accompanying unarmed Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the Gaza Strip.

According to Wallach, "We were fishing about 7 miles off the shores of Gaza. The Israeli soldiers came on board the three boats via four Zodiacs. The frogmen came up and over each boat. They used a taser on Vik while he was still on the boat, then tried to push him backwards onto a sharp piece of wood. He jumped into the sea to avoid being hurt more than he already was and was in the water for quite a while. Then they came for me and forced me into the Zodiac at the point of a gun. They kidnapped me and Andrew and Vik and all of the Palestinian fishermen."

Israel abducted and later released 15 Palestinian fishermen during the incident, and confiscated their fishing boats. The HROs are refusing to be deported, and refusing to eat, until the boats are returned--undamaged--to their rightful owners in Gaza.

"We R on hunger strike and want 2 go before judge in court. No deportation til boats are returned 2 fishermen," was the text message sent out from jail by the HROs this afternoon.

At court today, HRO Andrew Muncie asked the judge under what law they had been arrested. According to the judge, their detention was authorized by the Oslo Accords "because it is forbidden by military law for you to fish 7 and a half miles off the coast. It is a no-fishing zone."

However, the Oslo accords grant Palestinians the right to fish 20 miles off their own coast. When Andrew's attorney handed a copy of that portion of the Oslo accords to the judge, she had no comment.

On August 23, 2008, Wallach, Muncie and Arrigoni were among 44 participants in the Free Gaza Movement who were aboard the first boats in forty-one years to enter Gaza by sea, breaking the Israeli blockade. They remained in Gaza to participate in human rights activities with the International Solidarity Movement. They have been living and working in Gaza since the summer, providing accompaniment to Palestinian farmers and fishermen, and documenting Israeli human rights abuses in the Gaza Strip.

The three will stop eating tomorrow morning until the confiscated fishing boats are "returned in the condition they were in when the frogmen boarded the boats, with any damage they made repaired."



Please send your complaints to:

David Miliband, Foreign Secretary:  http://blogs.fco.gov.uk/roller/miliband/entry/what_is_needed_is_nothing#comments



Ron Prosor, Israeli ambassador to Britain, Embassy of Israel, 2 Palace Green, London, W8 4QB  info-assist@london.mfa.gov.il

British Consulate, Jerusalem  britain.jerusalem@fco.gov.uk



For More Information, Please Contact:
Neta Golan (ISM Palestine) +972 (0)598 184 169 / +972 (0)22 971 824
Fida Qishta (ISM Gaza) +972 (0)599 681 1669
Donna Wallach (ISM Gaza) +972 (0)598 836 420